Moveable Feast

>> From the editors of relish.com, we bring you Moveable Feast with host Alex Thomopoulos.

>> ALEX: We're in Phoenix today, here to cook up a feast using the ingredients that are natively grown and foraged here in the High Desert.

Lately, the food scene here in the Sonoran Desert has been undergoing somewhat of a rebirth, a phoenix rising, if you will, as local chefs have begun to take full advantage of the surprisingly abundant produce in the region, as well as the evolving interest in both ancient and ultra-modern cuisines.

First up, Chef Donald Hawk will bring us to Ramona Farms in the Gila River Indian Reservation where Ramona and her daughters are preserving the native crops and food traditions of the Pima people.

>> The Tohono O'odham tribes, they were here before us.

They know the land more than any of us.

I want to buy local product, but I also want to buy products that have been here longer than we have.

>> ALEX: Next, French-inspired chef Taylor Sorenson will introduce us to Hypha Foods, where Brian Hedger is cultivating gourmet fungi as well as foraging for local varieties of desert plants.

>> Every week he comes to me and it could be something different.

I never know what I'm gonna get from him, and that really pushes me as a chef to just think outside the box and be creative.

>> ALEX: And once we've gathered all of our ingredients, we'll be headed up to the historic Wrigley Mansion, perched on a hilltop, where we'll cook up a feast as stunning as the views.

That's all happening right now on Moveable Feast with Relish.

>> Major funding provided by... >> Oh, hey, it's the Donovans.

You know, legend has it, the Donovans had a barbecue that fed half a town.

You know what I heard?

They drove cross country just to walk their dog.

>> Welcome to the National Kennel Show!

>> Apparently, they climbed a mountain to save some wild horses.

(lightning strikes, thunder rumbles) (whinnies) That's what they say.

>> That's what they say.

>> La Panzanella-- bakers of Italian-inspired crackers.

Simple ingredients and non-GMO.

>> Additional funding provided by: >> ALEX: What's going on, chef?

>> Hey, how are you?

>> ALEX: How are you?

>> Very well.

>> ALEX: Where have you brought me today?

>> I brought you to Ramona Farms down here in Sacaton, Arizona.

Ramona Farms started back in 1970 because she realized that they weren't getting a lot of nutrients, and she was going to grow this heirloom food that was going to make everyone healthier.

>> ALEX: So it really sounds like Ramona was trying to preserve her heritage as well as feed her community.

>> Exactly.

>> ALEX: Tell me a little bit about how you came to open Valentine's, what kind of food you're serving there.

>> We're almost two years old and it's kind of like a restaurant that celebrates the ingredients of Arizona, but the techniques from other places because a lot of things have made up Arizona.

>> ALEX: Should we go inside and meet Ramona?

>> She's actually in the field setting something fun up for us.

>> ALEX: Okay, well let's go to the field.

You want to ride with me?

>> All right.

>> ALEX: Cool.

>> ALEX: Hi, I'm Alex.

>> Hi, how are you?

>> I'm Brandy, but nice to meet you.

>> ALEX: Nice to meet you.

>> This is my mother Ramona.

>> ALEX: Ramona.

Very nice to meet you.

>> Maria.

>> ALEX: Hi, Maria.

>> Nice to meet you.

>> ALEX: Nice to meet you.

Where are we?

>> We are in Sacaton, Arizona.

We're on Ramona Farms, and this is our Pima cotton, right behind us.

And right now we have completed harvesting all of our native crops here and we are on the Gila River Indian community.

So, this is our lands, and we are actually from here.

We didn't have to move anywhere or go anywhere else.

These are our lands, our ancestral lands where my mom was raised, and I was raised, and my sister Maria.

>> ALEX: Ramona, you started this farm back when you were how old?

>> Well, my father and I started it when I was four.

And he said, "This has to be spiritual "because it's our foods.

"It was foods of our people of long ago "and where it came from, "and you're to honor the food, and appreciate it, and use it."

When I began to turn ten, he said, "I want to take you on a walk."

So we walked to the Sacaton Mountains, which is south of here, and we would climb it and sit up there, and he said, "What do you see up there?"

And I said, "Nothing but dirt, rocks, and mud and dirt."

And he said, "Well, I see something different, it's green out there."

And I said, "I don't see it and I don't know who's going to do it."

And he says, "You are."

>> ALEX: And now your daughters, you all are a part of Ramona Farms, helping... >> Yes.

>> ALEX: ...helping grow this business and feeding the local community here.

>> It was our first job and it'll be our last job.

(all laughing) We both worked in the fields, we helped with every aspect, and now we still do, so.

>> ALEX: So what type of crops are you growing here at Ramona Farms?

>> Over here we have an example of the four different varieties of corn that we grow.

This here is our Pima 60-day corn.

We have a red variety, along with the blue, and also a pink.

So we also mill them to order to different varieties of grits, polenta, cornmeal.

>> ALEX: And then you've got this variety of beans.

And all of... all of these, they are native to this land?

>> Mm-hmm.

Been feeding our people for time immemorial.

They're just basic quality ingredients, and you can go any direction with them, which is the most fun part about sharing our foods with all the different chefs from across the country.

>> For us, it's just the history of Arizona, the Tohono O'odham tribes, they were here before us.

They know the land more than any of us.

I want to buy local product, but I also want to buy products that have been here longer than we have, such as tepary beans and the white Sonoran wheat.

>> One of the things that we like to have featured: 60-day Pima corn, Pima cornmeal, and then the Pima Club wheat berries.

So those three things we have featured in my mom's, in Ramona's cornbread recipe.

>> ALEX: Oh, wonderful.

>> So those particular items we like to share with people because they are from here.

And that Pima Club wheat is amazing.

Delicious.

>> ALEX: Oh, wonderful.

>> Yeah.

>> ALEX: What are you thinking about tonight's feast?

>> If I could, I'd just use everything, but we only have so much space on the menu.

The beans right now are always fantastic.

I mean, all three have such distinctive different flavors and textures.

>> The brown beans are very earthy and nutty.

The white tepary beans are very creamy and buttery with a little cheddar essence.

Now the black ones are chocolatey and rich, very complex.

>> ALEX: Oh.

>> It's like smelling the first rain on the desert, on all of the beans while you're cooking them.

That's what I remember.

And that just is like I'm home.

My mother's here, my dad is here, you know?

>> ALEX: It's an honor to be able to cook with these ingredients for tonight's feast.

And you mentioned something about Ramona's famous cornbread, and if it's possible, I would love to be able to make your cornbread, if that's okay?

>> Sure.

>> ALEX: Wonderful.

Thank you so much for having us at Ramona Farms, and sharing a little bit of your history, and the story of these foods and of your tribe.

And we look forward to seeing you tonight at the feast.

>> ALEX: Next, chef Taylor is taking us to Hypha Foods, a local mushroom-growing and foraging operation that Brian, the owner, is operating out of his backyard.

Oh, hello, chef.

How are you?

>> Hi, Alex.

Welcome to Phoenix.

>> ALEX: Thank you.

We've done a lot of these shows, never been brought to somebody's home before.

>> Well, it's interesting you say that.

This home is actually home to one of the best local foragers that we have here.

His name is Brian with Hypha Foods.

We love mushrooms, but we've found that Brian uniquely has some of the best that we can get our hands on and we like to incorporate that in not just one but many dishes that we offer at Christopher's.

>> ALEX: So I'd love to go meet Brian and get some mushrooms for tonight's feast.

>> Fantastic.

Come on over.

>> ALEX: Okay, thanks.

We are in the backyard of a house.

I think this is how all horror movies start.

Wish me luck.

>> Brian?

>> Hey, Taylor.

I just picked these for ya.

>> Oh my gosh.

We were just talking about you.

Look at these.

>> ALEX: What is happening?

Right now?

>> We just picked these for ya.

>> ALEX: And all of a sudden now I'm holding these extraordinary mushrooms.

Hello.

>> Hello, how are you today?

>> ALEX: I'm good.

How are you?

>> Doing well.

>> ALEX: I'm a little confused, but I'm very excited about what's about to happen.

>> Got lots of goodies for you guys to try out.

>> ALEX: Yeah.

Do you want me to shut these doors?

>> Absolutely.

>> ALEX: Okay.

I'm dying to know, how did this happen?

How did you get started growing mushrooms and foraging here in Arizona?

>> Well, I got into this business towards the end of college.

I ended up getting a work study job at the Garden Center and kind of became a passion from there.

I have multiple family members who are foragers as well.

So just, honestly, it just became a love.

From there we grew Hypha.

Over in 2019 is when we first started.

And now fast forward a couple years, it's crazy, all the different products that we're actually involved in.

This one here, actually, the lobster mushroom.

It's very interesting fungus.

>> ALEX: This is stunning.

>> It only lives symbiotically with trees, so it can only grow wild.

It pops up as a Russula mushroom at first, and then gets taken over by a parasitic fungus, which turns it into the lobster mushroom.

What's interesting too, is it completely changes the DNA, so it tastes just like a lobster.

>> ALEX: So these can only be forged in the wild?

>> Correct.

>> ALEX: You can't grow them.

What sort of mushrooms are you growing here... >> Absolutely.

>> ALEX: ...in your backyard, in your grow room?

>> So we grow about 1,000 pounds of silver oyster mushrooms every week.

And, yeah, we... >> ALEX: Hello?

>> ...pass those out to chefs here, like Taylor.

>> ALEX: 1,000 pounds a week?

>> 1,000 pounds.

We supply multiple grocers, distributors, and chefs just like Taylor.

>> ALEX: You know, chef, I would love to know a little bit more about some of the products that you're using that Brian's growing.

>> Every week he comes to me and it could be something different.

I never know what I'm going to get from him, and that really pushes me as a chef to just think outside the box and be creative.

>> ALEX: What else is on this table?

>> These squiggly guys right here, we call those cordyceps.

Flavor-wise is really nice too, is they actually almost have like a acidic type vinegary flavor to them, so they go really good mixed in with multiple types of dishes.

>> ALEX: Well, chef, what sort of mushrooms do you think you're going to need for tonight's feast?

>> Well, I obviously, it's a no brainer, this lobster.

>> ALEX: Obviously, yeah.

>> These lobster mushrooms are so beautiful.

I have to do something.

And then I really think something with these cauliflower, and maybe some of the truffles too, we'll see.

>> Absolutely.

>> ALEX: We'll wrap some of these up and then, chef, I think it's time to head to our feast.

>> Awesome.

>> ALEX: All right.

Thanks Brian.

>> Thank you, Alex.

>> ALEX: Hello, hello.

>> Hi, Alex.

>> ALEX: How are you?

>> Wonderful.

Welcome to the Wrigley Mansion.

>> ALEX: Thank you so much.

Wow, this place is extraordinary.

>> It's incredible.

The mansion's been an icon of luxury here in the Phoenix area since 1931, when it was constructed.

It was a 50th wedding anniversary present from William Wrigley, Jr. to his wife, Ada.

So there's lots of personal touches throughout the home to let her know just how special she was to him.

>> ALEX: Are you taking notes?

I'm talking to my boyfriend.

Take notes.

(laughs) >> If we go through here, this'll lead us into the formal dining room.

>> ALEX: How is this mansion being used today?

>> Today we strive to be the premier destination for fine dining and special events here in Phoenix.

We also have two restaurants here at the Wrigley Mansion.

This is one of the things that makes the mansion so truly special.

This is William's Duo-Art Steinway player piano.

There were only two of them that were ever created anywhere in the world.

We play our piano here for our tour every single day.

And we also have a live pianist that comes every Sunday brunch and plays the piano.

>> ALEX: Wow.

Well, thank you so much for this beautiful tour and... >> My pleasure.

>> ALEX: ... opening up the home to us.

I'm going to go over to Christopher's and get our feast started.

>> Wonderful.

>> ALEX: And thank you again.

>> Oh, my pleasure.

It was such a pleasure to meet you, Alex.

>> ALEX: We're back here in the kitchen at Christopher's at the Wrigley Mansion.

I'm here with chef Taylor.

Chef, what are we making for tonight's feast?

>> Yes, we're making a classic dish that's been on our menu for quite some time now.

It's Hudson Valley foie gras with wild mushrooms.

>> ALEX: Yum.

So these are the mushrooms that we picked up this morning.

We've got the lobster, some cordyceps, cauliflower.

>> Yes.

>> ALEX: And that's all going to go into a soup?

>> Yes, it is.

>> ALEX: Yum!

>> A real umami bomb.

We're going to start by adding some port to this pan and reducing it.

We're going to do about half a bottle.

It sounds a little generous, but that's only because we are reducing it until it becomes almost like a thick syrup consistency.

Then up next we're going to take some of these beautiful mushrooms and just chop them up to size.

>> ALEX: Okay.

The port is reducing.

And then what's next?

>> We have our Hudson Valley foie gras here.

So, once it hits that pan, you can hear that sizzle.

(sizzling) And once we've flipped this, that's when we're going to add our wild mushrooms to the pan.

And then that umami and that fat will really become more intense for the flavors to infuse in this soup.

>> ALEX: As soon as it hits the pan, as soon as that fat starts to render, you get the most beautiful unctuous sense.

>> We're going to go ahead and gently turn that.

As you can see that beautiful caramelization starting to come out.

Now I'm going to start with the lobster mushrooms.

These are, what Brian said, a little more meaty, so I want to make sure that they're cooked a little more through.

So we're going to go ahead and add these to the pan.

And then, just for color and texture, we'll go ahead and add in the cordyceps and also the cauliflower.

>> ALEX: These are all so stunning.

>> We're going to let this just kind of do its thing.

I've turned the heat down, now we can focus on the soup.

>> ALEX: That is half a bottle of port, reduced down.

>> Believe it or not, yes.

>> ALEX: It's like molasses.

>> Yes, it certainly is.

To a bowl, we're going to add about a cup of heavy cream.

This heavy cream we get from Fond Du Lac Farms.

It's some of the best raw cream we can get here in the valley.

So we're going to just whisk this until stiff peaks form.

>> ALEX: Oh-- give me that.

>> Unseasoned.

So, absolutely, if you don't mind.

We have about equal amounts of reduced mushroom stock.

So mushroom stock can literally be any of these scraps, or stems and pieces that you might normally throw away.

So what we have here is those mushrooms, some aromatics like herbs and garlic, and thyme, bay leaf.

And then that is reduced until we get this nice vibrant color, then we're going to add it to the port, and just let that reduce a little as well.

>> ALEX: I'm very anxious to try this dish.

All of the reduction of flavor.

My mouth is watering.

>> We came to a good simmer here with this stock and the port.

I'm going to go, and a good heaping spoonful-- I know it looks like a lot.

>> ALEX: I've never done this before, but I'm definitely going to take this home and try it.

>> So we're going to let that bloom.

And as you can see, it is going to start to turn almost like a milkshake.

>> ALEX: That is wild.

>> So, just in time, we're going to pour it into this beautiful showpiece vessel.

And this will just add to that final flare.

We always like to have fun here.

And we're going to take these fresh pieces of mushrooms and just gently lay them inside this bowl.

>> ALEX: And mushrooms are like a sponge, so they've sucked up all of that incredible foie flavor.

>> Absolutely.

>> ALEX: And fat.

Ooh... >> Absolutely.

And look at that foie gras.

>> ALEX: Oh my God, that is so stunning.

>> Just right on top.

And if that's not enough... >> ALEX: Holy moly.

>> Just going to finish with a little flaky Maldon salt on top.

>> ALEX: Stop it.

Is that a truffle?

>> You know, Brian snuck one in.

I thought I was going to surprise you.

>> ALEX: This is the best episode.

This is a bowl of pure decadence.

>> Good thing we made two.

>> ALEX (chuckling): Yeah.

I want to get everything in one bite.

Mm!

Mm!

It's delicious, chef.

What a way to start a meal.

I'm going to go check on chef Donald, I'll let you cook up a few more batches, and I think we're ready to feast.

>> Fantastic.

Let's do it.

>> ALEX: Oh, thank you for this treat, I'm so excited.

Chef Donald.

>> Hello.

>> ALEX: We are here at Christopher's, getting ready to prepare our feast.

And what will you be making for tonight's dinner?

>> So we are going to make just kind of steak and beans.

>> ALEX: We got the beans that we picked up this morning at Ramona Farms.

>> So we're going to be using all three of these, actually, today as well.

>> ALEX: I love the blending of flavor.

I remember Brandy, who was saying all of these beans have such distinct flavors and textures, so mixing them all together is going to make for a very special bean dish.

>> So it starts with bacon that we smoke at my restaurant, Valentine, as well as some onions that we smoked, a little preserved garlic, and a miso we make from the tepary beans and some wheat berries we found at Ramona Farms as well.

>> ALEX: Wow.

>> So we start with our bacon.

While that's going, I'm going to add some of our smoked onions that we make.

We throw this over the hearth, roast them for a few hours.

A little of our preserved garlic we made last year from green garlic, a little salt, and then a little of the miso as well, to kind of start rendering.

So we're going to let this cook a little first, kind of render down.

>> ALEX: It seems like your style of cooking really utilizes all of the local ingredients that Arizona has to offer.

>> Phoenix for me is special.

And you can see that we went to Sacaton this morning, and Ramona with her story, preserving the traditions.

How could I not, you know, introduce that to people who might not know about that?

So next we're going to add this to our pot of beans that we've been stewing all morning.

We soaked them the second we got back from the farm this morning.

So we're going to add all our bacon, our onion mixture as well.

>> ALEX: Yum.

And the beans are going with the steak?

>> The steak, yes.

So this is from CPR Farms, south of Tucson.

This is 45-day dry aged, as well.

We salt it a day ahead.

The shio koji, we rub it with the steaks so it makes it-- >> ALEX: Oh, you're rubbing it with koji?

>> Yes, so, we make koji from Ramona's wheat berries as well.

>> ALEX: What you're doing is taking these ingredients to a different level.

You're creating miso with it.

You're making koji and then you're applying it to the steak.

This is where I get very excited!

>> So our salsa starts really simply, it's just tomatillos, a little garlic, some green onions, and then this is our chili jam that we make in-house as well.

We're gonna just dump a little oil in here, kind of get that going.

(sizzling loudly) Great.

We're going to sear it just a little.

I want it still to be raw on the inside, but we'll give it a good pinch of salt, and then we'll blend it.

(blender whirring) That looks perfect.

>> ALEX: All right.

>> So now we're going to add our hatch chili jam.

This is the stuff we make at the restaurant.

So I'm just going to add a little, we don't need all of this.

>> ALEX: This all looks fantastic.

Now how do you finish this dish?

>> So we're going to just sear some steaks.

We're going to sear some shishito peppers that we have.

And then I brought some tortillas that we get locally made here from La Purisima, and we make a butter from huitlacoche, which is the fungus grown off corn.

>> ALEX: Right.

>> And then we smear that in between the tortillas.

>> ALEX: Oh my God, it sounds so good.

We should get all of this moved back into the kitchen.

We'll sear up those steaks, those shishitos, get those tortillas ready.

And then I think I'm going to cook up a little bit of cornbread using Ramona's cornmeal and her wheat berries.

And then I think, finally-- finally, finally, finally-- it is time to feast.

(sizzling loudly) To go with tonight's feast I wanted to make Ramona's famous cornbread using the cornmeal and the wheat flour grown on Ramona Farm here in Phoenix.

And I wanted to finish this dish with a little homage to my family heritage.

My dad is from the Bronx, and obviously he comes from a very big Greek family.

And one of the applications in the diner that my grandparents owned was to take these corn muffins, slice them in half, and griddle them in butter.

And growing up, it was my favorite thing to eat, and I really hope that Ramona enjoys it as well.

The pressure's on.

We are going to start with some of the cornmeal from Ramona Farms.

Look at that color, it is beautiful.

That freshly ground wheat berry.

To that, we add some baking powder, and salt.

I'm going to whisk that to incorporate it.

I've got the dry ingredients here.

And then separate, I'm going to add all of the wet ingredients.

Got some milk here, egg, vegetable oil, and a little agave for sweetness.

And then I'm going to start to slowly incorporate the wet and the dry.

You can tell just by the color of this batter that the cornmeal is very special.

We've got a greased nine by 13 pan.

And then we're just going to bake this off in the oven, cut it into squares, and then I'm going to griddle it in some hot butter in a skillet.

And I saw some rosemary and lavender outside.

I'm going to snip a little bit of that.

I'm going to incorporate it into some butter.

Add some of that rosemary lavender butter, finish it with some sea salt.

Delicious.

And finally, finally, we are ready to feast.

Cue that B-roll.

Good evening.

>> ALL: Hi!

>> ALEX: Hi.

We made it.

We have been all over the Phoenix area today, sourcing ingredients for our feast with chef Taylor and chef Donald.

Chefs, would you like to tell everybody what you made tonight, and where you sourced it?

>> I was fortunate enough to be with Brian today and we were able to get some local forged lobster mushrooms.

We also have little Hudson Valley foie gras soup in front of us with a little shaved white truffle.

>> ALEX: Delicious.

And chef Donald?

>> After visiting Ramona Farms today, we made the tepary bean stew from them using all three tepary beans, and then we grilled some steak, salsa on top and then some grilled shishitos.

>> ALEX: Wonderful.

And I had the very large task of recreating Ramona's famous cornbread using the cornmeal and the wheat berries that you all grow at Ramona Farms.

I took it and I griddled it in some brown butter, bring out those really toasty, roasty elements of your beautiful corn that you grow.

And now it is time to feast.

>> Mm!

It is delicious.

>> ALEX: I'm so glad that you enjoy it.

The flavor is insane.

(indistinct chatter) >> The smokiness of these beans.

>> This steak is delicious, Donnie.

>> ALEX: We've had a wonderful time here in Phoenix, Arizona.

Ramona, Brandy, and Maria, thank you so much for sharing your history, your culture, and, of course, your food for today's feast.

Brian, thank you for foraging and growing these beautiful mushrooms for chef Taylor's dish.

And, of course, chef Donald and chef Taylor, thank you so much for your time and your talents in creating this extraordinary feast.

If you would like any of these recipes from today's episode, make sure to go to moveablefeast.relish.com.

And who knows, maybe next episode, we'll be feasting in your city.

Cheers, everybody.

>> ALL: Cheers.

>> There we go.

(glasses clinking) (Alex trumpeting) >> For more information about this episode, recipes, and behind-the-scenes fun, make sure you go to relish.com.

Follow us @moveablefeast_tv on Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

See you next time on A Moveable Feast with Relish.

>> Major funding provided by: >> Oh, hey, it's the Donovans.

You know, legend has it, the Donovans had a barbecue that fed half a town.

>> You know what I heard?

They drove cross country just to walk their dog.

>> Welcome to the National Kennel Show!

>> Apparently, they climbed a mountain to save some wild horses.

(lightning strikes, thunder rumbles) (whinnies) That's what they say.

>> That's what they say.

>> La Panzanella, bakers of Italian-inspired crackers.

Simple ingredients and non-GMO.

>> Additional funding provided by: Closed captioning made possible by: >> If the horizon was endless, where would you go?

Montana.